SOVOL SV01 REVIEW

Sovol SV01 Review-A Creality Style Affordable Direct Drive 3D Printer

Table of Content

Sovol was known a filament and accessory manufacturer based in China’s tech megalopolis, Shenzhen, is branching out into printers.

Let’s do this backward today and give the thoughts of Sovol SV01 3D printer, with a print volume of 280x240x300mm, it’s a good size printer under $300. 

Many of you may not heard of it, but it is a machine that definitely holds up well in the 3D printing industry as a great low-cost direct drive extruder 3D printer.

It has some similarities with Creality machines out there, obviously, it is an OEM project from creality as most of parts come from Creality, but they add some cool upgrades to make this printer more competitive.

Sovol SV01 Specification

  • 3D Printer Brand: Sovol
  • Body Material: Aluminum
  • Technology: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
  • Control Board: Creality V2.2
  • Extruder Type: Direct Drive
  • Nozzle Size: 0.4mm
  • Filament Diameter: 1.75mm
  • Build Volume: 280 x 240 x 300mm
  • Max Nozzle Temperature: 250°C
  • Max Print Bed Temperature: 100°C
  • Bed Leveling: Manual
  • Power Supply: 24V
  • Connectivity: SD Card
  • Third-Party Filament: Yes
  • Filament Materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU
  • Slicer Software: Simplify3D, Cura
  • Weight: 9.8 KG (21.60 Pounds)

Unbox & Assembly of Sovol SV01 3D Printer

The Sovol SV01 comes mostly preassembled. It’s a design that has a proven track record with extruded aluminum making up the majority of the frame with wheels rolling on them for linear motion. Everything was nicely packed and there was no shipping damage. All the parts were accounted for. I removed all the parts and assemblies and we went ahead and started moving onto the assembly process.

If you’ve assembled an i3 style printer such as a Creality CR-10 in recent years this one will not be much different, even if you are a newbie in 3d printing, this machine is quite easy to assemble and they have a tutorial video on their official youtube channel as well.

The printer top assembly is mounted to the base assembly with 4 long allen screws that go through the base and thread into the z axis aluminum extrusions. Once that is completed, the LCD screen is mounted, as is the filament holder and filament sensor. The Z axis endstop also needs to be installed.

sovol sv01 unboxing
sovol sv01 3d printer review
sovol sv01 3d printer unboxing
sovol sv01

Product Feature of Sovol 3D SV01

Basically, its an oddly shaped CR-10/Ender clone, but with the following improvements built in:

  • a direct drive extruder with variable tension bolt. It can get VERY strong, but it also doesn’t get as loose as I would like
  • An e3d style hotend, with no PTFE inside so you can get up to 260 (MFG recommends 250 or below)
  • Dual Z axis, it can help you reduce vibration to a great extent that eventually results in 3D print models with an efficient smooth finish.This feature is not so common to see in FDM 3D printers, especially in this price range.
  • Wider X/Y rails and pre-tensioned belts
  • 280x240x300mm build size, great size at this price,You can have the option to print a large model without any hassle.
  • A very nice ultrabase glass plate,  Its Ultrabase-like carbon-silicon glass platform ensures a perfectly flat build surface and strong bed adhesion.
  • A filament runout sensor. This actually serves a double purpose because it has an anti-reversal latch in there. What this means is that when printing with flexfil, you don’t get that “rewind” effect. Filament only moves in one direction.
  • Meanwell power supply and good soldering on the build plate. This feature is necessary to print successfully with temperature-sensitive filaments such as ABS. As this is a certified power supply that is equipped after proper testing, it protects your 3D printer from sudden power outages and other issues.
  • Supposedly upgraded mainboard (creality 2.2). I havent flipped the thing over to confirm yet.
  • Power Resume Printing, simple ability to resume your 3D prints from the last detected layer at any time.
  • Thermal runaway protecion,Once it detects any significant errors in temperature readings, the SV01 will stop heating your elements and wait until you, the user manually checks over to correct any issues that may have occurred.
sovol 3d sv01
sovol sv01 printer review
sovol sv01 3d printer flash
sovol sv01 model
sovol sv01 model
sovol sv01 3d printer model

Pro Of Sovol SV01

  • Has great safety features installed such as thermal runaway protection, power off resume, and a filament end detector
  • Large print volume
  • Direct drive extruder which is great for flexible filament and other types
  • Dual Z-motors ensures greater stability than single
  • Easy assembly so you  can focus on getting started with your printing
  • Users have mentioned that it comes with a generous 200g spool of filament
  • Can print at fairly fast printing speeds with great quality (80mm/s)

Cons of the Sovol SV01

  • The fan inside the case has been known to be quite loud
  • Cable management is good, but it can sometimes sag into the print area, but you can print a cable chain to solve this issue.
  • Doesn’t save settings automatically like baby-stepping (which is live adjustment of the nozzle height).
  • Doesn’t have auto leveling with it, but it is compatible
  • Has been known to clog if you don’t use PTFE tubing in the feed area
  • The unique bed size means you have less options for bed surfaces – it is the same size as the Anycubic 4Max Pro.

FAQ

Does Sovol SV01 have auto bed leveling function?

No, it is not, they have pre position for bl touch installation, you must flash the firmware after you install the bl touch.

Will Sovol sv01 print PETG and TPU?

Sovol sv01 is designed with direct drive extruder,  it supports multiple 3d printer filament including PLA, TPU, PETG and others, lots of people choose direct drive because it can support flexible material due to its structure.

Does Sovol SV01 better than Creality Ender 3 ?

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to answering this question.

If you want to print flexible models, then Sovol’s sv01 is the best option. However if this was your very first time 3D printing and are more interested in starting out with something simple that will get your feet wet before moving on up towards more complex machines – Ender 3 would be perfect for beginners!

How Do I sovol Hotend Clogging Issue?

The most common issue for Sovol sv01 is  causes and solutions for your hotend’s clogging problem. It could be caused by a variety of factors, but these two videos should help clear up any confusion on what might have triggered it!

 

Conclusion – Sovol SV01 Worth Buying or Not?

Although Sovol SV01 offers high-quality performance in all 3D printing aspects, you may need to tweak some settings in the slicer,but they have a very active community at Facebook group, you can always get massive support from community.

With the SV01, Sovol took aim at the budget 3D printing market and hit its mark. Despite being the company’s first attempt at a 3D printer, it manages to pack in the essentials and some nice-to-haves for a relatively affordable price.

The Sovol SV01 works well enough out of the box for even a beginner to ease themselves into 3D printing, but, as with all 3D printers, to achieve absolute perfection you may need to fiddle a bit with the slicer settings. Though the machine isn’t a perfect first try (looking at you, cable management), it’s a suitable printer for beginners who don’t want their growth to be stifled by their printer’s limitations

If you are a beginner and want a 3D printer that offers you high performance, large build volume, glass build surface, all at an affordable price, Sovol SV01 could be an ideal choice since the prize is usually set at $249 which a great deal.

It seems to have taken over some of the popular Creality 3D printers in choices for many users.

Get yourself the Sovol SV01 printer from Amazon or official website today.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit